Sony Xperia XA review

The Sony Xperia XA currently has an Informr score of 6.2 out of 10.
This score is based on our evaluation of 17
sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

The "1-Minute" Review

What's good

Beautiful design

Good cameras

microSD support

What's bad

Tons of bloatware

Dim, dull display

Small, non-removeable battery

Doesn’t perform as well of other phones in its price tier

Looking to add high-end style to the mid-tier market, Sony’s Xperia XA’s invisible bezel design is turning heads. But does it offer an experience that matches it’s looks?

We’ve checked out what reviewers are saying to save you time with this Informr phone summary!

Reviewers loved the design of the XA. From the cleverly hidden screen bezels to the pearlized coloring on the rear cover, reviews agree that Sony has shown that you don’t need high-end materials to design a great looking phone. Android Pit said, “The Sony Xperia XA is beguiling to the touch. It feels pleasantly [matte] and smooth and has an edgeless and gapless design.”

Flipping around to the front treats you to a 5-inch display that wraps neatly to both sides of the phone. Unfortunately, while reviewers loved how Sony minimized the bezels and optimized space usage on the front of the phone, opinions on the display quality of the 720p IPS panel weren’t as good. Alphr noted, “The display on the Xperia can look a little dull compared with even the best budget smartphones.” It’s not all bad, however, as GSM Arena said, “Sunlight legibility is very good for the class.”

Performance reviews are equally mixed. The phone uses an eight-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor capable of up to 2Ghz. Stuff gave the phone a work out and said, “The XA is fairly snappy most of the time, but sooner rather than later you’ll run into a stutter, or an app that takes its time to load.” This lines up with most reviews. Many said while the phone didn’t feel slow, it never felt fast either.

You’ll find 16GB of internal storage on the Xperia XA. After Sony’s bloat, you’re left with roughly 5GB for your own apps. This means that a microSD card will be required for most people. Even though the phone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Android Adoptable Storage is not enabled. So even with a card, you’ll be stuck swapping apps to your card manually.

The phone uses a 2,300mAh non-removeable battery to keep things running. Recombu noted, “With regulated use, I just about made it from breakfast to bed on a single charge. If I was less restrained and spent a couple of hours messing around online during my commutes, then I would have to charge the Xperia XA as soon as I got home from work.” Fortunately, reviews also indicate that the include charger can fully charge the battery in 30 mins. While you might have to find a charger throughout the day, you won’t be stuck connected to it for long.

Where the phone shined in reviews was it’s cameras. The 13MP rear camera and 8MP front-facing camera with wide-angle lens were applauded by all. Android Pit said, “The main camera delivers detailed, high-contrast pictures with bright colors. Only when looking closely can small artifacts be seen around the edges of objects. Even in low light it provides decent results. The Selfie camera is also above average.” Reviewers also loved Sony’s camera app and interface.

In the end, reviews weren’t great. While most loved the design and camera, they weren’t happy with performance or pricing. Alphr summed reviews up well, saying, “In the end, you have to look at the opposition to set the Xperia XA in context, and right now it’s just too strong for this handset to stand out in any meaningful way.”

What the Critics Are Saying...

Xperia XA Ultra will definitely appeal to selfie fans with its 16MP front camera accompanied by an LED flash, Exmor RS sensor, f/2.0 aperture, and even OIS. All this is a significant prerequisite for awesome selfies, even at low light. If you are still wondering whether a 6-inch model is too big, we...

- LaptopMedia Team, LaptopMedia

The Sony Xperia XA is an ‘OK’ phone that looks great but is simply priced too high for me to recommend it over the alternatives. Listed at $249.99, it’s outperformed by devices checking in at least $50 cheaper that provide double the storage, a more robust design, and a longer list...

- Benjamin Hunting, Android Community

Despite its dapper design, you should avoid the mediocre Sony Xperia XA. It's too expensive for what you get.

- Andrew Hoyle, Cnet

The Xperia XA will primarily catch the attention with its slim line, but the inner values in the form of a fast SoC, bright screen, and expandable storage are also very convincing. It is ultimately the short battery life that ruins the review sample's otherwise decent outcome.

- Andreas Kilian, Notebookcheck

The Xperia XA is a really good budget phone. If you want to spend less than $300 and get a really good phone then I wouldn’t be mad at you if this phone was your choice. It has a lot going for it. Sturdy design, sleek, curved glass, bezel-less edges, great camera, lightweight.

If your Xperia XA has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Sony support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Sony's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.

Critic Reviews

The familiar power and style but in different size

Xperia XA Ultra will definitely appeal to selfie fans with its 16MP front camera accompanied by an LED flash, Exmor RS sensor, f/2.0 aperture, and even OIS. All this is a significant prerequisite for awesome selfies, even at low light. If you are still wondering whether a 6-inch model is too big,...More

Xperia XA Ultra will definitely appeal to selfie fans with its 16MP front camera accompanied by an LED flash, Exmor RS sensor, f/2.0 aperture, and even OIS. All this is a significant prerequisite for awesome selfies, even at low light. If you are still wondering whether a 6-inch model is too big, we can add that it has almost no side screen bezels, and its profile is relatively thin (8.4 mm). Undoubtedly, all these features contribute to the better grip (if we can call it so). The smartphone does not excell in terms of battery, as the component may have been bigger, but the quick charging feature and power saving modes can compesnate for this to a certain extent.

A pricy, pretty face

The Sony Xperia XA is an ‘OK’ phone that looks great but is simply priced too high for me to recommend it over the alternatives. Listed at $249.99, it’s outperformed by devices checking in at least $50 cheaper that provide double the storage, a more robust design, and a longer list of features.

The Sony Xperia XA is an ‘OK’ phone that looks great but is simply priced too high for me to recommend it over the alternatives. Listed at $249.99, it’s outperformed by devices checking in at least $50 cheaper that provide double the storage, a more robust design, and a longer list of features.

Desirable design, but little else

I like how the Xperia XA looks. I really do. That skinny bezel makes it look like a much more expensive phone and means you can easily use it one hand. But the disappointing display, lack of fingerprint sensor, poor battery life and meagre internal storage -- not to mention Sony's insistence on b...More

I like how the Xperia XA looks. I really do. That skinny bezel makes it look like a much more expensive phone and means you can easily use it one hand. But the disappointing display, lack of fingerprint sensor, poor battery life and meagre internal storage -- not to mention Sony's insistence on bundling bloatware -- means this phone still falls short of the mark. For less money you can pick up the Motorola Moto G4 Plus, which has none of the XA's shortcomings and throws in water resistance too.

A new designer piece

The Xperia XA will primarily catch the attention with its slim line, but the inner values in the form of a fast SoC, bright screen, and expandable storage are also very convincing. It is ultimately the short battery life that ruins the review sample's otherwise decent outcome.

The Xperia XA will primarily catch the attention with its slim line, but the inner values in the form of a fast SoC, bright screen, and expandable storage are also very convincing. It is ultimately the short battery life that ruins the review sample's otherwise decent outcome.

The beautifully flawed budget phone

The Xperia XA is a really good budget phone. If you want to spend less than $300 and get a really good phone then I wouldn’t be mad at you if this phone was your choice. It has a lot going for it. Sturdy design, sleek, curved glass, bezel-less edges, great camera, lightweight.

The Xperia XA is a really good budget phone. If you want to spend less than $300 and get a really good phone then I wouldn’t be mad at you if this phone was your choice. It has a lot going for it. Sturdy design, sleek, curved glass, bezel-less edges, great camera, lightweight.

Too expensive for what you get

For $280, the Sony Xperia XA just doesn't bring enough to the table to justify its price. Despite a high-quality build it suffers from sluggish performance, mediocre battery life, and a relatively low-resolution display.

For $280, the Sony Xperia XA just doesn't bring enough to the table to justify its price. Despite a high-quality build it suffers from sluggish performance, mediocre battery life, and a relatively low-resolution display.

The most stylish mid-ranger

Sony Xperia XA is one of the most stylish smartphones on the market, and this is due to its ultra thin side bezels. It also has a 5-inch HD display, and even though you can find such screens in phones that are 50% cheaper, we can’t say that it is a drawback because it offers a good image de...More

Sony Xperia XA is one of the most stylish smartphones on the market, and this is due to its ultra thin side bezels. It also has a 5-inch HD display, and even though you can find such screens in phones that are 50% cheaper, we can’t say that it is a drawback because it offers a good image detail, colors and viewing angles. Nonetheless, if we compare it to Xperia X, you will certainly notice a difference in this respect. What’s more, the battery life on this device is quite poor, but the quick charging and power saving modes seem to compensate for this to a certain extent.

Desirable design, great price

The Sony Xperia XA comes off a lot better than the horribly disappointing Xperia X. Had Sony taken the best parts from each we might be in a different place today, but as it stands (and despite a few high points) the Xperia XA feels a little insignificant.

The Sony Xperia XA comes off a lot better than the horribly disappointing Xperia X. Had Sony taken the best parts from each we might be in a different place today, but as it stands (and despite a few high points) the Xperia XA feels a little insignificant.

By no means a disaster

The XA comes off a lot better than the horribly disappointing Xperia X. Had Sony taken the best parts from each we might be in a different place today, but as it stands (and despite a few high points) the Xperia XA feels a little insignificant.

The XA comes off a lot better than the horribly disappointing Xperia X. Had Sony taken the best parts from each we might be in a different place today, but as it stands (and despite a few high points) the Xperia XA feels a little insignificant.

Overcharging on entrance

Sony has boiled the Xperia XA down to two key features of the lower upper class: camera and design. However, looking to the left and right in this price range reveals some better alternatives. These might not take better pictures or look so chic, but they either last longer, work considerably faster or have better software.

Sony has boiled the Xperia XA down to two key features of the lower upper class: camera and design. However, looking to the left and right in this price range reveals some better alternatives. These might not take better pictures or look so chic, but they either last longer, work considerably faster or have better software.

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